Right-hander Jordan Lyles will start against the Diamondbacks in Wednesday’s Cactus League opener at Salt River Fields.

The full pitching schedule has not been released yet, but right-hander Jhoulys Chacin is scheduled to start on Thursday against the D-backs, newly acquired righty Kyle Kendrick on Friday vs. the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium, and lefty Jorge De La Rosa on Saturday at Salt River Field vs. the Cubs.

Scottsdale, Ariz. — Watch Troy Tulowitzki on the baseball diamond during the carefree days of spring training and you realize that he’s still a kid at heart.

So it makes sense that Tulo would reach out to ailing kids to lift their spirits and induce some smiles.

Tulo is underwriting an all-expense paid trip to spring training for more than 20 patients from Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. The group will visit spring training from March 6-8, the hospital announced in a press release.

“I have done it for the past couple of years,” Tulowitzki said. “It’s a chance to get them out here for a little mini-vacation. We give them a chance to meet some of the players. It’s a good little getaway.

“They are going through some difficult things and spending a lot of time at the hospital. … I’m looking forward to it.”

For many of the young patients, it will be the first trip away from home without their parents. Doctors and nurses will also be on the trip, but mostly it’s a much-needed getaway and a break from the hospital.

During the regular season, Tulo will see some of the kids at Coors Field.

“Some of them will be at the games and they will say hi and I try to remember their faces,” he said. “I remember them talking about how much fun they had at the hotel and playing at the pool. Like I said, it’s a chance for them to get away.”

Tulowitzki admits he often puts on a serious game face, but he lets his guard down around the kids.

“It’s because I like interacting with kids,” Tulo said. “I think people who know me, know that I can be pretty serious in the clubhouse, but you bring a kid around and I’m probably a different guy. I think I have the patience and I enjoy being around them.”

The Rockies are counting on catcher Wilin Rosario to be able to play some first base in 2015.(John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Scottsdale, Ariz. – There’s a lot riding on Wilin Rosario’s conversion into a part-time first baseman, because Rockies manager Walt Weiss made it clear Thursday that the club won’t carry three pure catchers on its 25-man roster.

“I don’t think it can be strictly three catchers,” Weiss said. “Somebody is going to have to be more versatile than just a catcher. I don’t envision carrying three catchers only.

“Obviously, you are talking about Wilin at first base. I think he’s going to be very serviceable over there and the more things he can do, the better it is for us.”

Rockies left-hander Tyler Anderson, a former first-round draft choice, is a limited participant in spring training because of a stress fracture in his elbow. (Chrstian Petersen, Getty Images)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — For Tom Petty, the waiting is the hardest part.

Ditto for Rockies pitching prospect Tyler Anderson.

The injured left-hander starter, so good last season at Double-A Tulsa and on the cusp of making a leap to the majors, is still not throwing the baseball — no bullpen sessions, no long toss, no short toss.

“If it was up to me, I’d throw right now, but I have to be smart,” he said. “We want to takes it extra slow and make sure it never happens again.”

“It” is the stress fracture in his left elbow. It first flared up when the 6-foot-4 southpaw was pitching for High-A Modesto (Calif.) in 2013. He recovered and took a giant step forward for Double-A Tulsa in 2014 when he was named a Texas League all-star and the league’s pitcher of the year. Anderson went 7-4 with a 1.98 ERA, 40 walks and 106 strikeouts in 23 starts. He was 4-1 with a 1.01 ERA in 11 starts after the all-star break. His season ended during the playoffs when pain returned to his elbow.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Troy Tulowitzki remains a hot trade topic in New York, but the truth is that the Mets and Rockies never came close to consummating a deal during the offseason. That hasn’t stopped the speculation and wishful thinking from the Big Apple.

I get an email from a certain Mets fan at least once a week asking me when Tulo is coming to New York. Not soon, and probably never, is my reply.

The New York media remains enthralled with Tulo as well. Mike Puma of the New York Daily Post led his Monday story with this:

Michael Cuddyer won’t lobby the front office for a reunion with a Rockies teammate, but dropped hints Monday that Troy Tulowitzki makes sense for the Mets.

“I think he could be a fit here for sure — there is absolutely no question in my mind that he could be a fit here,” Cuddyer said. “Whether or not (the Rockies) eventually trade him, I don’t know. Nobody in baseball has a player like Tulo except for the Colorado Rockies, so in my opinion you never let a guy like that go.”

So, what does Tulo think of all the trade speculation?

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. (Denver Post file)

“I think this offseason was the first time it really hit me, just because it was every single day and pretty hard,” Tulowitzki said. “I do pay attention, and yeah, I saw my name being thrown all over.”

Yet while the rumors swirled in social media, Tulo had close contact with owner Dick Monfort and the Rockies front office throughout the winter. He was kept in the loop.

“The Rockies kept me involved. They told me that from the start,” Tulo said. “They told you guys (in the media) that as well, that there would be some communication if something were to go down.

“I pay attention. I watch the MLB channel all the time. I know what’s going on. I can’t control any of that. I can only control coming here and doing my job.”

Jairo Diaz: At 6-feet, 248 pounds, he looks more like Broncos linebacker Von Miller than a relief pitcher from Venezuela. Diaz looks imposing and his sizzling 95-97 mph fastball adds to presence.

The 23-year-old was acquired from the Angels in an off-season trade for infielder Josh Rutledge. Diaz — who converted from catcher because he couldn’t hit — made just five big-league appearances in 2014, but struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out more than 13 batters per nine innings with a 2.20 ERA at Double-A Arkansas in 2014.

When Diaz got the unexpected call-up from the Angels late last summer, Diaz cried.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

He fits the power profile that GM Jeff Bridich and manager Walt Weiss want in their bullpen.

The 88-year-old member of The Scorpions, one of five teams in the Colorado Rockies’ 2015 Fantasy Camp, charged the mound (or, took a few menacing steps toward to the pitcher) after taking a pitch high and inside for a ball four during one of his games. The home-plate umpire even had to stop him in his tracks to ward off a brawl.

What’s more: Dunlap and the Scorpions went undefeated to win the championship, thereby making him one of the greatest athletes in the state of Colorado. Yep. LEW. GOT. SWAG. (Calm yourself, ladies.)

The Rockies on Tuesday announced the 24 non-roster players receiving invitations to this year’s major-league spring training camp. Nick Groke has the details.

There are some intriguing names on the list.

Start with hard-throwing right-handed reliever John Axford. The former Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Indians closer can earn a $2.6 million base salary if he makes the major-league roster, and he can make an additional $1.5 million in incentives. The Rockies could really use him in their bullpen. He strikes out plenty of hitters, but he’s also been walking too many.

Top prospect Jon Gray gets his second invite to camp. The big right-hander’s mission this spring is to hone his talents and show more consistency. Can he make the 25-man roster out of camp? It’s possible, but I wouldn’t bet on it. I would expect him to make his major-league debut this season. We’ll see.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Yohan Flande throws in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals June 25, 2014 at Coors Field. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

The Rockies invited 24 players not already on their roster to spring training camp starting next week. They include some big questions about the makeup of the pitching staff to start the 2015 season.

Jon Gray, who pitched exclusively for Double-A Tulsa last season, will compete for a roster spot alongside Eddie Butler, his Drillers teammate last season. Butler made the jump to the big leagues for three games. To start spring, though, both are on the outside looking in at a Rockies rotation that currently pencils in as Jorge De La Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin, Tyler Matzek, Jordan Lyles and Kyle Kendrick.

But will the young pitchers show well enough to crack the Rockies’ roster out of spring? Can newly-acquired David Hale make a move to a starting spot? Did a spot starter last season carve out a spot for himself?

It won’t be long before Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado will be swinging his bat during spring training. (Rob Tringali, Getty Images)

Cleaning out my Rockies notebook as I start prepping for spring training. I head to Scottsdale on Feb. 18.

As I noted in my Sunday column, the Rockies were historically bad on the road last season, winning just 21 games.

But this I didn’t realize: Of the Rockies’ 21 road victories, eight of them came in April when the Rockies went 16-13 overall and 8-9 on the road. That means that between May and September, the Rockies went 13-51 on the road. Thanks to Rox fan Robby Laitos for pointing out that statistic.

I talked to manager Walt Weiss about his club’s road woes the other day. He knows the Rockies absolutely have to play better away from Coors Field. How will they attempt to do it? That’s something I’ll explore in-depth when I get to Scottsdale.

I’ll admit I was scratching my head, too, especially when nothing was being done to improve the Rockies’ wobbly starting rotation and crumbling bullpen.

But with the recent addition of right-handers Kyle Kendrick, David Hale and Gus Schlosser, at least Bridich has added some depth to the rotation. Is the starting pitching still suspect? Yes. But at least now Jon Gray and Eddie Butler won’t have to be considered backbones of the rotation this season — a role neither young pitcher should be expected to fill right now.

Wilin Rosario spent a full week at the team’s training complex in Scottsdale, Ariz., earlier this month. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Catching up on various Rockies rumors and reports:

* General manager Jeff Bridich tells me that the team is confident that catcher Wilin Rosario can make the transition from catcher to first base, and possibly even right field.

Rosario spent a full week at the team’s training complex in Scottsdale, Ariz., earlier this month, working at first base and the outfield. He will also spend time at the team’s academy in the Dominican Republic before reporting for spring training around Feb. 20.

“I think Wilin has the athletic ability to do this, and he certainly has the work ethic,” Bridich said.

That said, Rosario still will be considered a catcher when he reports to spring training. The other catchers in the mix are newcomer Nick Hundley and Mike McKenry.

Woody Paige, who has a Baseball Hall of Fame vote, talked about the new inductees and who he still wants voted in the Hall. Paige voted for the four guys who got in — Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio — but admitted there were “four or five other guys” he voted for, including Larry Walker, a “homer vote,” Paige said.

Paige and The Sports Show co-host Les Shapiro also debated if steroids-tainted players belonged in the Hall during Tuesday’s show.

From a Justin Morneau Batting Champ bobblehead during opening weekend at Coors Field, to a “20th Anniversary and Reunion” event to honor the stadium 20 years to the date of its first major league game, the upcoming season is packed with freebies and events.

The late George Steinbrenner, pictured in 2004, started the Yankee Silver Shield Foundation in 1982. (Associated Press file)

Rafael Ramos (Photo by NYPD)

The Yankee Silver Shield Foundation, an organization started by the late George Steinbrenner in 1982, has long provided for the education of the children of fallen New York City police officers, firemen and Port Authority employees.

Steinbrenner’s foundation will pay for the education of Ramos’ 13-year-old son Jaden, as well as that of another son in college. The other officer who was killed, Wenjian Liu, does not have any children.Read more…

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.